Contents

In 1199Isawa Hibana and Ikoma Yamahatsu took the nun Aranai into custody and brought her back to the Second City. Aranai had killed the Defender of the Second City Asako Karachu in a duel, suffering the disparagement of an entire city. Hibana wished to know what really happened in the duel, and the undertaking was fraught with peril and had a high likelihood of death or disgrace. She entrusted Asako Ifukube for the task, [2] while Yamahatsu appointed Ayumi. During the interrogation Aranai told that Karachu had become a terrible thing before she killed him. [3] Aranai’s account of Karachu’s behavior was not in keeping with what they knew of the madness spawned by P’an Ku. Ifukube decided they must speak with the Spider Clan. [4]